Gift of Mistletoe
by LordLenne
Summary: At a jolly Christmas party, Sun feels left out. Santa Hala's helper elf Hau cheers him up by leading him to some mistletoe. Sun x Hau / Hau x Sun, Kalashipping.


Sun sighed into his drink, trying his best to not look out of place.

The continuous chatter and laughter, the wild dancing to traditional music, and additional Alolan sumo wrestling exhibition was altogether a bit too much for the young boy. Sun would have rather spent a more quieter night, or at least finally set off on his island challenge, but he couldn't turn down a kind invitation to Iki Town's annual Christmas party. It was even harder to turn down when he discovered that his mother, the professor, and his new friends would be attending, and he did not want to seem like a lone wolf after just moving to a new region. Even though he liked being in enjoyable environments, he was still an awkward boy himself when it came to social gatherings. And even though he only recently moved to Alola, he did not expect to find himself ending up in so many gatherings so quickly.

Sun watched much of the townsfolk immersed in intangible conversations, assuming they talked about how they loved the food, entertainment, and decorations. Even if he was not directly participating in the event, his eyes were widened with comfort enough to warm his heart.

Although, he felt a little depressed about that fact, too.

Sun saw his mother helping with the catering, delighted to share some of her cooking with the village. Melemele's kahuna donned a Santa outfit, which seemed to have fit him perfectly as all the young children gathered around him, asking for gifts. Knowing Lillie so far, she seemed as reluctant as he was, but she managed to engage in the festivities while still around Professor Kukui's proximity. The professor himself was seen to have captured as much attention as Santa Hala, as he took part in the wrestling and would continuously encourage the party mood loudly like a Loudred. He stood out especially as because he arrived at the party with a reindeer suit on, and did everything while still a reindeer.

And then there was Hau. He captured as nearly much attention as the conspicuous adults.

Hau captivated the attention of the townsfolk like he was born for the job. When he wasn't eating a mini malasada on the sideline, he danced the night away with the crowd, oozing endless confidence with that big smile of his. He was not in his usual wear for the cool winter evening. Instead, as Santa Hala's helper, he put on an elven costume to match, which earned cuteness points from all parties, especially from Sun. The young boy never felt so breathless before about another boy his age.

What was it about Hau that gave rise to Sun's little crush? Was it the fact that they shared so many things in common so soon after they met? Was it Hau's looks that shined in all the seasons? Or was it Hau's brighter-than-anything smile that Sun loved seeing every moment? As much as Sun panicked over figuring out his reasons, he knew at the very least he loved Hau. He wanted to walk on over and join in on the dancing, but he feared that joining in abruptly would make him look embarrassing more than the dance itself.

Then, Sun realized how lonely he looked, standing in an empty patch of grass away from the center of the village. No one had approached him yet since he arrived at the party not too long ago. Either he blended well in the background, or there were negative possibilities that Sun thought of.

Before he could acknowledge being noticed by anyone, Sun quickly retreated into the kahuna's residence. A few children playing with their newly acquired toys in the main room, and the dinner hall was occupied by jolly adults who had too much eggnog. The young boy crossed his arms, shivering from the comfy goosebumps caused from walking into a warm house.

"Young man, are you all right?" said a nearby lady. She dressed the part of a kahuna's helper, and showed concern for the boy.

"I'm okay," Sun answered. "Is the guest room empty?"

"It is. You are welcome to stay there if you feel ill."

Sun nodded and walked over to the directed room door. Inside the room, he took one more sip of his drink and set it down on the only dresser on the other side of the room. Then, he sat down on one of the beds, facing the nearby wall.

Sun felt so frustrated at himself. He thought that by coming to a new region, he would have a more enjoyable time becoming a trainer in a place so far away from the first home he grew up in. The fresh start was a good idea at first, but he felt so out of place with all the enthusiastic islanders around him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad—by spending more time with them, they could help him bring him out of his shell some more. And if he made a mistake somewhere, they would be more kind about it and laugh it off, knowing that everyone is not perfect. Yet, Sun couldn't help from blaming his insecurity stopping him from trying anything with anyone here so far.

The young boy was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't realize he shed a couple of tears until he heard the door open behind him. He was terrified of being seen not enjoying the Christmas party, and so he wiped off his tears quickly, but his actions only made it look worse. It was too late anyways—his face was partially reddened with timidity and a hint of frustration, and turned around to show it to whoever came in.

"Sun?" called out a voice. The young boy felt like tearing more as soon as he saw Hau in the room—the person he wanted to see and the person he did not want to be seen by at the moment. He must have looked terrible with watery eyes, and that only added more nervousness for Sun.

Hau quickly ran over to the bedside, and sat down with Sun. "What's wrong?"

Sun paused for a bit too long. "I had a stomachache."

Hau slyly grinned. "I didn't think you would be a terrible liar."

Sun weakly smirked. "It's nothing, really. Why are you here?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I saw you standing by yourself out there," Hau told. "I thought you wanted to be alone, but you looked a little sad when you came inside here."

Sun lightly huffed. "Well, you were right. I _was_ feeling sad."

"Was?" Hau questioned.

The other boy nodded. "I feel better now that you're here."

"Good." Hau smiled at the hidden sentiment, and let his hand slip onto Sun's wrist. He pulled the other boy off the bed and gently led him across the room, and towards the balcony.

"Where are we going?" Sun asked.

"Just come with me," Hau answered.

At the balcony, Sun found nothing of interest with a view of a darkened cliff in front of him. Music still blared from the end of the platform, albeit it was somewhat quieter with the building blocking some of the noise. At the moment, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, aside from the two of them being alone together.

Hau stopped at one point and then turned around, grabbing hold of Sun's other hand. The young boy was aware of this gesture—something amazing was about to happen, now that he was in his crush's gentle grips. However, he still acted confused and uncertain, until Hau nodded his head upward.

Sun looked up and discovered that a small plant-like wreath was hanging from a wooden beam above. He immediately questioned who put that there, and why, but he was mostly concerned about what was going to happen next.

"Is that—?" Sun mumbled.

"—Mistletoe," Hau finished. "You know what it is, right?"

Sun looked back down and straight into the other boy's eyes. He couldn't believe what this situation was what he thought it was. There was a kind focused gaze directed at him that Sun had dreamed to receive from Hau. Hau's face leaned closer, and caused Sun to slowly close in too. Everything seemed to have stopped at the exact moment their lips touched.

Sun _really_ couldn't believe what was happening. To make sure, he pressed his lips just a bit more, and felt the delightful sting of warmth coursing through his body. It was a perfect feeling. He even felt Hau's lips stretch just slightly into a smile, and then they pulled away together.

Hau then slid his hands off and around Sun's torso, knowing that he delivered a perfect gift that made himself happy too. He rested his head on Sun's shoulder. "Merry Christmas."

Sun smiled as bright as he could, hoping to equal Hau's smile. He let himself melt into the other boy's arms and returned the embrace. "Thanks, Hau."


End file.
